When Shark Week hits every July, the world goes wild about the aquatic creatures. What was, at one time, the most feared fish in the ocean has become one of the most interesting creatures in the waters and Shark Week ensures that people can learn there is more to sharks than what they were scared of from Jaws.
Luckily, there are plenty of great shark documentaries to watch to learn more about these fish and what they are really like. These include movies about saving sharks from hunters to documentaries about some of the most interesting and awe-inspiring sharks in the waters.
Sharkwater (2006) - Available To Buy on Prime Video
Rob Stewart made the 2006 shark documentary Sharkwater, a movie that tried to convince viewers that sharks are not killing machines, but beautiful creatures in need of help. He worked with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to film it.
This shark movie follows the conservationists, as they try to stop shark finning and the disappearance of countless sharks because of global warming. It is emotional but is also a beautiful and hopeful look at the magnificent creatures.
Mission Blue (2014) - Available To Stream On Netflix
Mission Blue is a documentary focusing on oceanographer Sylvia Earle as she seeks out whale sharks and discusses ocean conservation. It is also part of a larger overall coalition to raise public awareness of marine protected areas known as Hope Spots.
Earle travels the world to try to raise awareness of the plight of the oceans. She seeks to save them from both overfishing and toxic waste and introduces viewers to the life under the seas that deserve a fighting chance.
This Is Your Ocean: Sharks (2012) - Available To Rent On Prime Video
In This is Your Ocean, three marine life experts set out to show people that sharks are not as dangerous and violent as movies make them out to be. It is also another documentary that shows the dangers of overfishing and destroying the shark populations, which itself endangers other underwater life.
The movie goes a long way to show how smart sharks are and how they are not just mindless killers, but creatures deserving of a person's respect. The tale is also known for one specific shark, a Tiger Shark named Emma, who bonds with one of the scientists.
Rise Of The Great White Shark (2017) - Available To Stream On Prime Video
Rise of the Great White Shark arrived in 2017 and delves into the history of the great white shark. The shark documentary discusses how this amazing fish got its start 11 million years ago when dramatic changes occurred to the oceans and climate.
Famed Shark Week cameraman Andy Casagrande worked for a decade to gather footage of the great white sharks for this documentary. The movie also goes into detail about the sharks of modern times and other sea life such as seals.
Shark Nation (2013) - Available To Stream On Prime Video
Shark Nation explains early on that the shark population in the world has declined by more than 90 percent thanks to overfishing. However, the good news is that this documentary reveals that there is one place in the world where sharks are still part of a healthy ecosystem, and that is the Bahamas.
This is an area where sharks prosper and thrive, and that is because there are strong laws highly protecting the sharks in these waters. There are few places where killing sharks is illegal, and this is one of them, making this documentary by shark advocate Stuart Cove an uplifting look at what happens when people protect sharks.
Galapagos: Realm Of Giant Sharks (2015) - Available To Buy On Prime Video
The Galapagos Islands is an amazing place for fans of underwater life. One of the most famous things about this location is the giant tortoises. However, the shark documentary Galapagos: Realm of the Giant Sharks gives viewers exactly what the title promises.
The waters around these islands are full of massive sharks, which viewers get to witness in this 53-minute nature movie. What resulted was scientists trying to figure out what brings all these giant whale sharks to this specific location.
21st Century Shark (2008) - Available To Stream On Prime Video
21st Century Shark is a documentary about Tiger Sharks. This is a shark that is a fearsome hunter that can attack and swallow almost any target. However, while the shark has teeth that can eat almost anything, including a turtle's sturdy shell, they are still in danger.
This shark documentary explores the lives and communities of Tiger Sharks and how environmental pressures are starting to cost them their lives. Unlike many other documentaries, this shows how scary these sharks are, while also discussing their plight.
Mystery At Shark Beach (2013) - Available To Stream On Prime Video
Mystery at Shark Beach is a very different sort of shark movie, as it is a mystery that shows the dangers sharks can present. At Port St. Johns' Second Beach, there is a rash of shark attacks that resulted in a 100 percent death rate for humans attacked.
Shark biologist D.r Matt Dicken sets out to find out what is happening there and realizes he has to sit in the waters to find and tag the sharks and learn what they are doing. It is here he learns this is the middle of a great shark hotspot and home to some of the deadliest sharks.
Shark Dive (2015) - Available To Stream On Pluto TV
Andy Brandy Casagrande, the two-time Emmy-winning Shark Week cameraman, set out to shoot some big sharks, hoping to let viewers see what these underwater creatures are really like. This specific shark documentary gets people closer to the sharks than almost any other of its type.
Almost this entire documentary takes place underwater, with some breathtaking and stunning footage. It isn't just sharks here either, as this movie also looks at elephant seals, sea lions, and manatees.
Of Shark And Man (2015) - Available To Stream On Tubi
The 2015 documentary Of Shark And Man is an interestingly named movie that follows one man who sets out on his dream to work with sharks. This man is David Diley and he moves to Fiji to work with a group that leads tourists out on shark dives.
The shark documentary allows viewers to learn more about the creatures by watching as David learns on the job. It also follows the path of other similar movies, detailing the dangers of shark finning and the importance of conservation efforts.